Mop



March 14-, 1933.

H. FIRTION MOP Filed Oct. 25, 1930 Zlwuwntom Ham/a L firf/on PatentedMar. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLD L. FIRTION, OFWAREHOUSE POINT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MONT- GOIERY COMPANY, OFWINDSOR LOCKS, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CON- NECTICU T HOPApplication filed October 25, 1930. Serial No. 491,122.

The present invention relates to mops of the type having a handle, and ahead of suitable cleaning material secured to the end of the handle. Asan instance of a use to which the present invention may be applied,reference may be had to mops for kitchen use in cleaning dishes, pans,and the like, but it is obvious that my improved mop is not limited tothis specific use.

The aim of the invention is to provide an improved mo having variousfeatures of novelty and a vantage, and which is particularlycharacterized by its simplicity and economy in construction; the easeand facility with which the parts may be. manufactured and assembled;and the security with which the mop head is fastened in place on thehandle. My improved arrangement is such that danger of splitting thehandle is guarded against.

Other objects will be-in part obvious, and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope ofthe application of which will be indicated. in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing wherein I have shown, for illustrativepurposes, one of the many embodiments which the present invention maytake,

Fig. 1 is a side view of the mop, the head being shown in the form-whichit has during the attaching operation; a

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view, showing certain of the parts in perspective,and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a staple and the head-receiving end ofthe handle, and shows the relation of this-staple to the slot in thehandle before the staple is inserted in the slot.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 10 designates the handle of anysuitable shape and size. The numeral 11 designates the material of whichthe head is formed; 12, a staple for securing the mop head to the end ofthe handle; and 13, a ferrule positioned about the forward end of thehandle. 10 is preferably constructed of wood. The material 11constituting the mop head may be of any suitable kind, but it ispreferably formed of cordage, the strands of which are covered withspirally wound metal ribbons. Cleaning material of this type isdisclosed in the patents to J. R. and G. M. Montgomery 1,192,219 and C..B. Elmore 1,212,032. In forming the head, a length of suitable strandmaterial may be wound or folded into a skein, and then the centralportion of the skein gathered and secured to the end of the handle bymeans of the staple, as illustrated. The material 11 is more or lessdiagrammatically shown in the drawing.

In accordance with thepresent invention, the forward end of the head isprovided with a circular'or annular slot or groove 15 of a width whichis less than the diameter of the wire from which the staple 12 isformed. For examp e, the width of the slot or roove 15 may be onethirty-second of an inc and the diameter of the arms 16 of the staplemay be three thirty-seconds of an inch. The depth or length of the slotis substantially such that when the staple is driven home, the

. pointed or tapered ends 17 of the staple touch the bottom of the slot,as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. By preference, the staple is made ofresilient metal, and before it is inserted the arms slightly diverge,the over all distance between the arms adjacent their free ends beingslightly greater than the outside diame- The handle into the slot, thearms 16 form ooves in the walls of the slot, and the fiber 0 the woodsurrounding these grooves is placed under compression, with the resultthat, due to the friction between the arms and the side walls of theslot and the pressure of the wood against those arms, the staple is verysecurely held in place. Also, when the staple 1s driven in place, thearms, due to the camming action between the outer periphery of the slotand the inclined surfaces 18, are forced towards each other, thusplacing these arms under compression strains which exert force againstthe outer periphery of the slot, thus giving an added binding andfrictional engagement between the arms of the staple and the handle.Owing to the provision of the slot, danger of splitting the handleduring assembly of the parts, or after'the handle has been put into use,is avoided. It is of advantage to make the slot in the form of anannular concentric groove, as such a slot may be very economically madeduring the operation of formin or turning the handle, and the insertiono the staple is facilitated, as it is not necessary to bring the handleto any predetermined angular position with respect to thestaple-insertin tool or mechanism.

The ferrule rein orces the handle and gives a neat finish to thearticle. By preference, the forward end of the ferrule extends outwardlybeyond the end of the handle in order to form a cup or recess into whichthe central portion of the mop head is forced when the staple is drivenhome.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawing, it will be seen that my improved mop comprises arelatively small number of parts, each of which may be chea ly made andwhich parts may be very rea ily and easily assembled, thus providing astructure which may be economically manufactured and sold at a low cost.The parts are very firmly held together. The likelihood of the headbecoming loose is effectively guarded against What is claimed is:

1. In a mop, a handle having an annular groove at one end, a headapplied to the grooved end of the handle, and a resilient staple havingits arms outwardly divergent, the over all distance between the armsadjacent their free ends being greater than the I outside diameter ofthe cove, whereby said arms will bind against t e outer wall of saidgroove when the stapleis driven home in the groove, said annular groovefacilitating assembly of the handle and staple without particularangular adjustment of the handle relative to the staple.

2. In a mop, a handle havingan annular groove at one end, a head appliedto the grooved end of the handle, and a resilient staple having its armsoutwardly divergent, the over all distance between the arms adjacenttheir free ends being greater than the outside diameter of the groove,whereby'said arms will bind against the outer wall of said groove whenthe staple is driven home in the groove, said annular groovefacilitating assembly of the handle and staple without particularangular adjustment of the handle relative to the staple, said groovealso being normally lesser in width t an the diameter of said armswhereb said arms partially embed themselves in t e walls of the groovewhen the parts are assembled.

HAROLD L. FIRTION.

